NJ Crab Pot Buoys Help

[firstin]

The NJ law for marking of pots states that all buoys shall be marked with florescent or reflective paint. Do the standard orange 5"x11" floats meet this requirement or do they need additional florescent or reflective paint. Thanks for the help. Trying to avoid a fine before I throw the traps overboard.

[crewstation]

They need reflective tape so that they can be seen better in the dark.  Unfortunately, it also helps the poachers find them.

[firstin]

Thanks for the response

[Mguy1]

NJ's summary of the rules  https://www.njfishandwildlife.com/pdf/non-comm_crabpot_regs.pdf says "Each crab pot shall be clearly and visibly marked with a buoy, stake or permanent identification tag bearing the license number of the owner."

 I interpret this to mean that I can drive a stake in the shore and tie my pot to that stake with no buoy required.  I bury the stake in the reeds, use a brown or black rope, and put my pot where it's out of the way of any boat traffic.  It's not easy to find spots near the shoreline that are deep enough to sink a pot and away from potential boat traffic.  But it's better than getting crabs or pots stolen.

[Ron]

NJ's summary of the rules  https://www.njfishandwildlife.com/pdf/non-comm_crabpot_regs.pdf says "Each crab pot shall be clearly and visibly marked with a buoy, stake or permanent identification tag bearing the license number of the owner."

 I interpret this to mean that I can drive a stake in the shore and tie my pot to that stake with no buoy required.

Correct.   Only you are using a buoy it must bear reflective tape or paint.

 I bury the stake in the reeds, use a brown or black rope, and put my pot where it's out of the way of any boat traffic.  It's not easy to find spots near the shoreline that are deep enough to sink a pot and away from potential boat traffic.  But it's better than getting crabs or pots stolen.

So in essence you say you are hiding your crab by burying the stake and using a dark rope so they don't get stolen...    That to me doesn't qualify as "clearly and visibly" marking the pot as called out above.   

[Capt. Frank]

MY pots are clearly marked.  ON THE POT ITSELF.  Name, cell and license # and year on a laminated card like a luggage tag zip tied right to the pot top.    F&G are fine with that.

I had too many stolen with expensive reflective and marked floats and all on same day as there were set.   I will lose way more pots to thieves than confiscated for being poorly or totally unmarked.  Maybe south NJ is better on honesty?

Correct.   Only you are using a buoy it must bear reflective tape or paint.

So in essence you say you are hiding your crab by burying the stake and using a dark rope so they don't get stolen...    That to me doesn't qualify as "clearly and visibly" marking the pot as called out above.  

[Mguy1]

S. Jersey isn't better.  

I used steel stamps and a hammer to make aluminum tags with my license number and hog-ringed those to my pots.

[Ron]

MY pots are clearly marked.  ON THE POT ITSELF.

The idea is the clearly mark them via stake or buoy so they are not a hazard.   You are twisting the intent.

[Capt. Frank]

Putting your license number on a buoy does not reduce a hazard much Ron.  It's two intents.  First is the reflective float tape is obviously for passing marine traffic like using only non-floating line.   The 2nd intent license # does nothing except say you have a license to someone thinking they need to know it.

Marking the submerged trap and concealing the bitter end so as not to get wound into someone's prop is wholly compliant with the statute.

General question, has anyone see anyone from F&G ever looked at a set trap?  

The idea is the clearly mark them via stake or buoy so they are not a hazard.   You are twisting the intent.

[HardCrabHarry]

You are at least using a float.

There are guys ( at least in south Jersey ) that are tying their pots off to stakes that are up in the grass ( like mguy says ). Or I've seen guys throw a cinder block up there with the rope attached. But the pot can be 15 or 20 feet off the bank. To me, even though it is marked with a "stake", that isn't clear or visible if you put it 5 feet off the water in the 4 foot high grass. You'd hope that everyone would have enough sense not to string them too far off the bank if they do it this way, but they don't.

A few years ago a guy was doing it up in the Dividing Creek vicinity. And he had two on a pretty busy creek back there. He had them tied in the grass. At low tide one day, before I knew they were there, I almost ran one of the lines over. Was he doing it so they didn't get stolen or because he was breaking the law? Who knows. And I'd imagine that is another reason F&G wouldn't like it. You basically eliminate their ability to police it. They don't have the time to go down the banks at 3 knots looking for stakes in the grass.

[Capt. Frank]

I'd say the thieves outnumber F&G field people 100 to 1.    I crab about 10-12 times a year for decades and I have met only one fish and game person in his truck at a ramp.  While I had three clearly marked reflector floats connected to traps stolen within hours of dunking.   Then I started to hide the bitter line end A LOT better.   I would think making sure I paid my $2 license fee is kind of a waste of F&G time to put much effort into.

Also nutty thoughts of booby trapping the things with single edge razor blades embedded in the last 10 feet to the traps or spear guns is not a good way to go either.  Just hide it well with tiny floats or driven pegs on land.

You are at least using a float.

There are guys ( at least in south Jersey ) that are tying their pots off to stakes that are up in the grass ( like mguy says ). Or I've seen guys throw a cinder block up there with the rope attached. But the pot can be 15 or 20 feet off the bank. To me, even though it is marked with a "stake", that isn't clear or visible if you put it 5 feet off the water in the 4 foot high grass. You'd hope that everyone would have enough sense not to string them too far off the bank if they do it this way, but they don't.

A few years ago a guy was doing it up in the Dividing Creek vicinity. And he had two on a pretty busy creek back there. He had them tied in the grass. At low tide one day, before I knew they were there, I almost ran one of the lines over. Was he doing it so they didn't get stolen or because he was breaking the law? Who knows. And I'd imagine that is another reason F&G wouldn't like it. You basically eliminate their ability to police it. They don't have the time to go down the banks at 3 knots looking for stakes in the grass.

[Ron]

Marking the submerged trap and concealing the bitter end so as not to get wound into someone's prop is wholly compliant with the statute.

We can agree to disagree on that, counselor.

[Capt. Frank]

   You're generally OK Ron

We can agree to disagree on that, counselor.

[Ron]

   You're generally OK Ron

...and usually correct.   

[Capt. Frank]

"Usually" I'd agreed.

You guys still getting anything is south NJ?

...and usually correct.   

[U / W HUNTER]

Do you have to use reflective tape on buoys used for topless traps, I use 1 foot long pool noodles glued on top of PVC, but I never new about putting reflective tape on them

[Capt. Frank]

They consider the floats a navigation hazard and would like them as visible as possible.   They also do not allow floating polypro line for the same reason.   

Other boaters can readily see it and not get it wrapped up in their wheels.

Do you have to use reflective tape on buoys used for topless traps, I use 1 foot long pool noodles glued on top of PVC, but I never new about putting reflective tape on them

[on the hook]

imo, no.....Only applies to commercial type "Pots" ....Recs can only have 2 with a liscense and then you need the reflective/ID etc...No ID is required on traps/floats(ring/topless/pyrimid/box, etc) in NJ 'that I'm aware of'....Md DOES require ID on the floats for traps etc...I use big pool noodles(yellow, 11"X3,5") and just put my name in black marker...It does wear off and I just redo...


Someone posted about Dividing Creek etc that had 'staked' pots...Highly illegal...Those creeks are off limits to commercial traps...Ducking in there about 15+ years ago I was on my way out at 'about' low tide on Xmas eve...I saw a rope running up in the marsh near where the bird tower is(Walden Pond area) and HAD to check it out...Staked pot that had about 2 dozen crabs that were real light, but MOST were alive...I did take them(didn't know that NJ had a season then) and steamed em up...I WON"T do that again...They were awful...